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Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets on Sunday to protest a bill which could grant amnesty to former President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters. The far-right leader was recently convicted and sentenced to prison after attempting a military coup to stay in power. Julia Carneiro reports from Rio de Janeiro.
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD #1: (Singing) Dancing all night long.
JULIA CARNEIRO, BYLINE: I've come to Rio's iconic Copacabana Beach with crowds gathered to defend Brazil's democracy and some legends of Brazilian music performing.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS #1: (Chanting in non-English language).
JULIA CARNEIRO: No amnesty is the chant ringing out here and in other Brazilian capitals.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS #1: (Chanting in non-English language).
JULIA CARNEIRO: Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Chico Buarque are some of the iconic Brazilian musicians performing here.
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD #2: (Singing in Portuguese).
JULIA CARNEIRO: Songs like this became anthems to protest Brazil's military dictatorship in the past.
CAETANO VELOSO: (Speaking Portuguese).
JULIA CARNEIRO: Musician Caetano Veloso says, "we couldn't stay silent in the face of the horrors unfolding around us."
These were Brazil's largest leftist demonstration in years. They were sparked by the lower House's decision last week to try to fast-track amnesty for former President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters. This follows the sentencing of Bolsonaro and others for their roles in an attempted coup after his 2022 election defeat to leftist leader, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Guilherme Mendonca, an environmental law professor, was one of those protesting on Copacabana Beach.
GUILHERME MENDONCA: The last president tried to violate the constitution. He must be punished by all the crimes he committed.
JULIA CARNEIRO: Earlier this month, the supreme court sentenced Bolsonaro to over 27 years in prison, marking the first time in Brazilian history a former head of state had been punished for attempting to overthrow the government. In the crowd was public servant Taiguara Cardoso.
TAIGUARA CARDOSO: We are seeing what is happening all over the world with the far right. So you have to protect democracy.
LENINE: (Speaking Portuguese).
(CHEERING)
JULIA CARNEIRO: At the protest in Rio, Brazilian music star Lenine declared he was also there to defend Brazil's sovereignty. "No foreign country will meddle in our affairs," he said in a pointed message to President Donald Trump, a key Bolsonaro ally.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS #2: (Chanting in Portuguese).
JULIA CARNEIRO: This is a message that President Lula is expected to reiterate when he speaks ahead of President Trump at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. With Brazil-U.S. relations at an all-time low, Lula's expected to double down on the defense of Brazilian sovereignty. For NPR News, I'm Julia Carneiro in Rio.
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